Anderson Heather
Researchers in Australia believe they have identified the first professional female athlete with the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Scientists at the Australian Sports Brain Bank research centre in Sydney announced on Monday that they had discovered low-stage CTE in the brain of Heather Anderson, a former professional Australian Rules footballer who died eight months ago at the age of 28.
Only a few women worldwide have been diagnosed with CTE, which is caused by repeated head contact, and ASBB director Michael Buckland stated that none of them were athletes.
Anderson’s “landmark” diagnosis, according to Chris Nowinski, CEO of the US-based Concussion Legacy Foundation, should serve as a “wakeup call for women’s sports.”
“We can prevent CTE by avoiding repeated head impacts, and we must start a conversation with women’s sports leaders today to save future generations of female athletes from suffering.”
Buckland said he had no doubt Anderson had the debilitating disease, which has been detected in a number of male athletes who participate in contact sports.
“In her cortex, there were multiple CTE lesions as well as abnormalities almost everywhere I looked.” “It couldn’t be distinguished from the dozens of male cases I’d seen,” Buckland added.
“I want to thank the Anderson family for generously donating Heather’s brain and hope that more families will follow in their footsteps so that we can advance science to help future athletes.”
Anderson, 28, a former army doctor whose death is being investigated by the coroner but is thought to be suicide, has participated in contact sports since the age of five.
She retired in 2017 after winning the top-flight women’s Australian Football League championship with the Adelaide Crows.
Her injury-plagued sporting career featured at least one verified concussion, prompting her to wear a protective helmet while playing.
According to Nowinski, evidence reveals that women are equally or more susceptible to concussion in contact sports, although it is unknown whether they are more likely to acquire CTE.
Researchers predict that as more female athletes participate in contact sports, they will be diagnosed with CTE.
Credit: AFP
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